Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Monday, October 3, 2011

Sliced potatoes are tossed with onion in seasoned flour, then fried in a bit of hot oil, covered and smothered with milk for a slow simmer. Simple, delicious comfort food.

Smothered Stewed Potatoes

This is one of my favorite potato side dishes, though I've also been known to make a pot just because I wanted some too!

It's very simple, classic country cooking - nothing particularly extraordinary about it or anything, but potatoes prepared this way are just so delicious and comforting. Simply sliced thin, then tossed with a tiny mixture of flour, salt and pepper, first cooked in a bit of hot oil and then covered in milk to low simmer until smothered down and tender. They are as at home as a side dish with that nice Sunday pot roast, as they are with your everyday chicken, or if you're like me, as a meal all on their own.

Here's how to make them. Seriously easy y'all.

First you toss the potatoes with just a bit of flour - only a teaspoon - and 1/2 cup of onion, salt and pepper; set aside for about 10 minutes. Forgot that picture. Melt 1/4 cup of fat in the bottom of a lidded pot.

I use my 6 quart cast iron, enameled Dutch oven - which by the way is a nice Better Homes & Garden product purchased at a very reasonable price from Walmart. It is probably the most used pot in my kitchen & has held up beautifully, meaning you do not have to spend a fortune on a fancy French enameled pot y'all. Just sayin'...

You can use canola or vegetable oil, butter, bacon fat or any combination.

Add the potato mixture to the hot oil and cook until heated through, stirring to coat.

Add the milk.

Bring mixture to a boil, stir, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

A great variation to this side dish is to brown chopped andouille or smoked sausage in the oil before adding in the potatoes. You can also add in some green bell pepper if you like. Add the milk and proceed as above.

You may remember a similar potato recipe we had here back in March as a featured reader post. Nell's version is layered in with smoked sausage and onion, undisturbed as they simmer in broth, another delicious version of smothered potatoes. Why not try them both!

Toss the potatoes with the onion, flour and salt and pepper; set aside for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the fat in a Dutch oven or other heavy lidded pot. Add the potato mixture to the hot oil and cook until heated through, stirring to coat. Add the milk and bring to a boil, stir, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove cover, taste, adjust salt and pepper, and continue cooking on simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes and gravy reach desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Variation: Brown chopped andouille or smoked sausage and chopped green bell pepper in the oil before adding the potatoes. Add the milk and proceed as above.

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20 comments:

And I was looking for some comfort food for Sweet Man cuz he's working the late shift. This is gonna hit the spot for him, no doubt. I'm gonna add the sausage and go for it. Thanks darling girl, Oma Linda

Hmmm, I'd say these are a little bit different Lisa - these are just simple & very basic potatoes that are smothered with milk and simmered low on the stovetop, but frankly I'll take either! Maybe these are a little like a basic stovetop version of what I call scalloped potatoes, but when I think of au gratin, I think of cheese.

Very nice, Miss Mary! My Granny would add a little more milk to this and call it "Potater Soup". We all loved it and it was one of her "go-to" dishes. She always cooked it for folks that were sick, too. She'd say, "You can eat potater soup when nothing else suits you." Thanks, Mary!

My mama used to make these all the time when I was a kid, except no onions! They were cheap and filling and we were always on a tight budget. I've never known how she made them and have always wanted to make them for my three kids. Thanks for the recipe!

My mom used to make these for us all the time when I was growing up, minus the onions. We were always on a pretty tight budget and they were cheap to make and very filling. I have always wanted to make them for my kids, but never knew how! Thanks for sharing this recipe....

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